Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 15, 2026

Three-Dimensional (3D) Tumor Spheroid Invasion Assay
12:19

Three-Dimensional (3D) Tumor Spheroid Invasion Assay

Published on: May 1, 2015

Integrin control of tumor invasion

Dara S Missan1, Michael DiPersio

  • 1Center for Cell Biology & Cancer Research, Albany Medical College, Albany, New York, USA.

Critical Reviews in Eukaryotic Gene Expression
|January 1, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Integrins are key regulators of cancer cell invasion and metastasis by mediating interactions with the extracellular matrix. Targeting these integrin receptors offers a promising therapeutic strategy to inhibit cancer progression and improve patient outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biochemistry

Background:

  • Metastasis is the primary cause of cancer-related mortality.
  • The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a critical role in regulating tumor cell invasion and cancer progression.
  • Integrins are cell surface receptors that mediate cell adhesion to the ECM and are crucial for cancer cell signaling and behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of the cancer-promoting functions of integrins in tumor cells.
  • To focus on integrins' roles in regulating cell invasion, ECM remodeling, tumor angiogenesis, and gene expression.
  • To discuss the development of integrin antagonists as potential cancer therapeutics.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review and synthesis of existing research on integrin function in cancer.
  • Analysis of integrin signaling pathways (outside-in and inside-out).
  • Examination of factors modulating integrin activity, including ECM ligands and intracellular proteins.

Main Results:

  • Integrins are critical for tumor cell invasion, ECM remodeling, angiogenesis, and gene expression.
  • Integrin function is modulated by extracellular ligands, intracellular proteins, and other cell surface proteins.
  • Integrin antagonists are being developed as therapeutic agents for cancer treatment.

Conclusions:

  • Integrins are vital targets for developing novel cancer therapies aimed at inhibiting metastasis.
  • Further research and development are needed to overcome barriers in exploiting integrins for clinical applications.
  • Targeting integrins holds significant potential for improving cancer treatment strategies.

More Related Videos

Quantification of Breast Cancer Cell Invasiveness Using a Three-dimensional (3D) Model08:08

Quantification of Breast Cancer Cell Invasiveness Using a Three-dimensional (3D) Model

Published on: June 11, 2014

A 3D Spheroid Model as a More Physiological System for Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Differentiation and Invasion In Vitro Studies06:27

A 3D Spheroid Model as a More Physiological System for Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Differentiation and Invasion In Vitro Studies

Published on: August 8, 2019

Related Concept Videos

Activation of Integrins01:15

Activation of Integrins

Integrins bind ligands and transmit information from outside the cell to inside or vice-versa through an "outside-in signaling" or "inside-out signaling."
In "outside-in signaling," external factors in the extracellular space bind to exposed ligand binding sites on integrins. This causes the inactive protein to undergo a conformational change to become active. Integrins are often clustered on the cell membrane. Repetitive and regularly spaced ligand binding events provide an effective stimulus.
Integrins01:10

Integrins

Animal and protozoan cells do not have cell walls to help maintain shape and provide structural stability. Instead, these eukaryotic cells secrete a sticky mass of carbohydrates and proteins into the spaces between adjacent cells. This network of proteins and molecules is called an extracellular matrix or ECM.
Some ECM proteins assemble into a basement membrane to which the remaining components adhere. Proteoglycans typically form the bulk of the ECM while fibrous proteins, like collagen,...
Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions01:17

Intracellular Signaling Affects Focal Adhesions

Integrins act both as extracellular input receivers and as intracellular processing activators. As their name suggests, integrins are entirely integrated into the membrane structure. Their hydrophobic membrane-spanning regions interact with the phospholipid bilayer's hydrophobic region. These membrane receptors provide extracellular attachment sites for effectors like hormones and growth factors. They activate intracellular response cascades when their effectors are bound and active.
Some...
Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia01:35

Cancer Cell Migration through Invadopodia

Invadosome is a broad category of cell surface structures with proteolytic activity that  degrades the extracellular matrix (ECM). Invadosomes are present in normal cell types, including macrophages, endothelial cells, and neurons, as well as tumor cells. Although the macrophage podosomes and tumor cell invadopodia are classified as invadosomes, they have different structures, molecular pathways, and functions. Podosomes are short structures that last for a few minutes. However, invadopodia can...
The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
Adherens Junctions01:24

Adherens Junctions

Strong contact points between adjacent cells anchor them to each other, forming tissues. Such anchoring junctions are of two types –  adherens junctions and desmosomes. Adherens junctions are abundant in tissues such as  epithelium and endothelium, forming a continuous zone of adhesion called the adhesion belt. In other tissues, such as  heart muscle, they appear as clusters, linking the cells to produce coordinated heart muscle contraction.
Adherens Junctions are Dynamic
The endothelial cells...